U.S. Employment Exploration: Nevada, Utah & Arizona
Employment:
Nevada
Although known for gaming, Nevada has a wide range of industries. From a low point in 2002, steady job growth occurred, mostly in construction, health care, education and retail trade. Mining employment declined steadily statewide from 1996 through 2002.
Unemployment rates for major Labor Market Areas in August 2003 ranged from 3.9 percent for Reno to 5.3 percent for Las Vegas, versus a 6.1 percent national average. Annual job growth rates were estimated at 1.8 percent for the Reno area and 2.4 percent for the Las Vegas area, versus an anticipated U.S. 0.4 percent job loss.
The 15 fastest-growing industries for 2000-2010 included lodging places, eating and drinking places, business services, special trade contractors, health services, educational services and miscellaneous retail stores. Amusement and recreation services ranked 12th.
The “top 10” occupations by total annual openings included office and administrative support, food and beverage preparation/serving, sales, personal care and service, construction and extraction, transportation, and building/grounds cleaning and maintenance.
Utah
One measure of how things are going comes from annual growth rates for personal income and wages/salaries. Utah’s Department of Workforce Services indicates that these figures bottomed-out in 2002 and re predicted to improve for 2003-2005.
Per-capita income comes in lower compared to the overall U.S., partly because average pay is lower and partly because residents have more children, not surprising in a heavily Mormon state.
Goods-producing industries (mining, manufacturing and construction) accounted for 21.5 percent of private employment jobs in 2002 (versus 31.7 percent in 1980). That level is expected to continue declining slightly for 2003-2005. This trend has helped lower average annual pay figures. You can find out which occupations are expected to decline through 2010, as well as which are likely to grow 5 percent or more.
The 1997-2002 unemployment rate ranged from 3.1 percent to 6.1 percent and is projected to decrease slightly for 2003-2005.
Job/economic information can be found for specific counties to help evaluate possible locations. For example, “Economic Events in Salt Lake County” excerpted items from area newspapers, such as layoffs, home sales and high apartment vacancy rates. It also noted places that dropped significantly on a “best performing cities” list based on ability to create jobs and increase salaries.
Arizona
“Arizona Workforce” (press releases from the Department of Economic Security) gives an overview of employment ups and downs for a given month. You can see, for instance, that the state jobless rate dropped from 6.2 percent in August 2002 to 6.0 percent in August 2003, while the rate for the Tucson-Metro area went from 4.8 percent to 4.6 percent. Job gains were predicted to continue throughout 2003 because of expected slight increases in manufacturing and construction.
Employment forecasts by industry give an overview for number of jobs in 2001 and 2002, with projections for 2003 and 2004. One of these forecasts showed, for example, that the education/health services sector was expected to increase by 13,600 jobs during 2003, while manufacturing was estimated to lose 7,200 jobs.
Living Conditions:
Nevada
Las Vegas is high desert, with an average temperature of 80 degrees. Summer highs often reach 100 degrees and winter lows can drop to 33 degrees. The area receives about four inches of rain annually. At 4,500 feet, Reno has winter lows dropping into the 20s and summer highs reaching the 90s, with low humidity. This area usually gets less than eight inches of rain annually but averages almost two feet of snow in winter.
Utah
Utah is geographically diverse, with topography that includes high mountains, broad valleys and sagebrush. Climate variations include extensive snow in winter in the northern part and milder weather elsewhere. The coldest parts of the state generally don’t drop below zero during the winter.
Summer temperatures can reach 100 degrees, but low humidity helps moderate the effect. Highs generally range between 83 and 93, although temperatures can cool off quickly at night.
Arizona
The Department of Commerce provides Community Profiles on a number of cities. The information includes principal economic activities, major private and public employers, labor force data, tax rates and scenic attractions. County profiles are also available.
Arizona State Library’s web site offers “Helpful Links” that include information on climate/weather. It notes that because Arizona’s elevations range from 70 to over 12,000 feet, on any particular day the coldest or hottest temperature in the U.S. could occur in Arizona.
Information Resources:
To help gain more understanding of relocation choices, check out www.homefair.com and www.findyourspot.com. Homefair’s salary calculator enables you to estimate what your income would need to be in order to keep your present standard of living.
Additional online resources for the three states:
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